The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion (MPI CEC) in Mülheim honored Prof. Dr. James Mayer (Yale University) with the "Frontiers in Chemical Energy Science" Award at the end of January.
The award is presented by the MPI CEC annually to an internationally renowned scientist for outstanding achievements in the field of "Chemical Energy Conversion". During the award ceremony, the prizewinner usually gives a keynote lecture as well as several additional lectures for young scientists from the region and is available for scientific discussions.
"It is a great honor for us that James Mayer, who is one of the leading scientists in his field, visits our institute and gives our young researchers the opportunity for questions and scientific debates," said founding director Prof. Robert Schlögl.
In his lectures, Prof. Mayer spoke about the development of basic concepts of proton-coupled electron transport (PCET). His research contributes to answering fundamental questions in chemistry. He has been able to gain a broad understanding of PCET reactions by studying organometallic complexes and nanoparticles. These reactions play an important role in various energy conversion technologies, such as fuel cells or solar cells.
From Harvard via 'Caltech' and Washington to Yale
Prof. Dr. James Mayer graduated from Harvard University in 1978 before earning a doctorate from the California Institute of Technology ('Caltech') in 1982. After teaching chemistry at the University of Washington for many years, he moved to Yale University in 2014. Mayer is a scientist whose interests include inorganic, material, bio-inorganic, metalorganic, and physical-organic chemistry. His primary focus is on redox reactions that involve bond formation and bond cleavage, in particular the coupled transfers of protons and electrons. His influence is highlighted by a long list of awards, most recently the 2018 ACS Award in Inorganic Chemistry. Prof. Mayer has also contributed numerous research articles, book chapters and reviews to anthologies and journals and has lectured at universities and research institutions around the world. Prof. Mayer received the Frontiers Award for his outstanding contributions to the understanding of proton-coupled electron transfer reactions.